Offensive Line Lights up Christmas
On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line surprised children with gifts and a shopping spree as part of the annual 'O-Line Lights Up Christmas' event. A record 70 children selected by Heart Gallery of Tampa joined the Buccaneers for an evening of shopping, food and fun. Monday's event was made possible through donations from the Bucs' offensive line: Silas Dzansi, Matt Feiler, Luke Goedeke, Luke Haggard, Robert Hainsey, Ryan Jensen, Nick Leverett, Cody Mauch, Logan Stenberg, Aaron Stinnie, Justin Skule, Brandon Walton and Tristan Wirfs. In addition to the players' donations, Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator Harold Goodwin and Offensive Line Coach Joe Gilbert contributed to Monday's shopping spree, as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation. Each child in attendance received a $400 shopping spree as well as a $100 Nike gift card among various other gifts.
Habitat Hillsborough Home Dedication Day
On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough saw their partnership efforts, "Holiday Home Build with the Bucs", come to fruition as they handed over keys to the four families that will inhabit the homes that they worked on over the course of the previous month. During that four-week span, Bucs' players and staff put in volunteer hours at the homes, installing windows and doors and priming the houses. Prior to the project's start, over 90% of the Bucs' roster donated funds towards the construction of a home for a family in need, with the Buccaneers organization matching their contributions to fund the construction of two Habitat homes in the Temple Terrace community.
From donations from the Buccaneers fanbase, coined "The Krewe", as well as comedians Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura, the impact has doubled and now the build of four homes along Overlook Drive has been funded. The project was part of the player-led Bucs' Youth Leadership Program, with 25 students from Young Middle Magnet School and Webb Middle School volunteering at the homes as well. The Buccaneers Youth Leadership Program is part of the team's Social Justice Initiative, a player-led program created in 2018 with a $1,000,000 commitment by the Glazer family to advocate for racial/social equality.
NFL Expands Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The National Football League and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) announced the inaugural "NFL Latino Youth Honors," recognizing outstanding high school tackle and flag football athletes from around the country for academic and athletic excellence. Eight of those student-athletes were announced as finalists, representing each of the eight league divisions.
This year's program is focused on honoring exemplary Latino youth football players. This initiative celebrates high school seniors from across NFL club markets who excel in the classroom, as well as on the football field.
"The NFL is proud to again join forces with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in the launch of this year's 'NFL Latino Youth Honors,' where Latino students and their inspiring stories will motivate the next generation of fans and athletes of this great sport," said Marissa Solis, NFL Senior VP/Global Brand & Consumer Marketing. "This initiative underscores the league's commitment to fostering excellence, nurturing the next generation of football players and fans, and recognizing the outstanding contributions of Latino youth within the NFL community and beyond."
Earlier this season, all 32 NFL teams were invited to submit outstanding student-athletes to be considered for this year's program. As part of the selection process and after receiving hundreds of applications between August and October, a total of two students (one male and one female) were identified and nominated by many of the league's clubs. The selection criteria for the "NFL Latino Youth Honors" program included:
- Being a Latino/Hispanic High School Senior.
- A flag or tackle football player.
- Based in or near the 32 NFL team markets.
- Be in good academic standing (minimum GPA 3.0).
- Must demonstrate commitment to his/her community.
- Verifiable football stats (season and career), with designation of tackle or flag
This selection process led to 56 student-athletes being nominated for the 2023 NFL Latino Youth Honors, many of whom were honored and celebrated locally during Latin Heritage Month events held by their nominating teams.
The eight finalists will each receive a grant award that can be used for college and are set to participate in a variety of special events taking place in Las Vegas during Super Bowl LVIII Week, presented by Nationwide. Activities will be centered around providing mentorship, guidance and resources to pursue careers in professional sports. During that week, the NFL and HHF will announce the national winner, with the recipient receiving an invitation to HHF's National Youth Awards ceremony in 2024. Gabriela Ruiz was nominated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In her two years as a standout WR/DB on the Plant City High School varsity team, Ruiz achieved 86 flag pulls, 8 interceptions on defense and 13 receptions for 126 yards on offense. As a first-generation American, Ruiz exemplifies hard work and determination, pushing herself to excel both academically and athletically.
